Teaching

Teaching History:

Dr. Shidmehr is an instructor at SFU’s Liberal Arts and 55+ Program, where she teaches courses on life writing, essay writing, and on history, culture, literature, and cinema of modern Iran. She has also taught creative writing courses at Douglas College.
In addition, she has served three times as a Writer-in-Residence at Regina Public Library, City of Richmond, and McMaster University’s Department of English and Cultural Studies.

Forthcoming Courses in Fall 2023:

  • Autobiographical Verses: Crafting a Poetic Voice through Life Writing.
  • The Iranian Women’s Movement: A Historical Perspective.
Courses  Taught in the past:
  • Fundamentals of Writing Personal Narrative.
  • Life Writing: The Fundamentals of Autobiographical Writing.
  • Life Stories Tapestry: A Collective Writing Experience.
  • Writing Our Lives as Stories.
  • Two Renowned Female Poets of Modern Iran: Their Lives and Poetry.
  • Life Writing: Creating a Self for Our Life Story.
  • Life Writing: Exploring and Recreating the Self. 
  • Collective Life Writing: Literary Metissage as an Ethos for Our Times.
  • Poetry of Immigration. 
  • Writing an Essay for the Liberal Arts Certificate. 
  • Writing Fundamentals Workshop.  
  • Iran’s Modern History: From the Qajars to the Aftermath of the Revolution.
  • Asghar Farhadi and His Cinema: Positive Critiques and Controversies.
  • Iranian Women and Their Struggles Portrayed in Film.
  • Iranian Women and Their Struggles Portrayed in Film.
  • Iranian Women and Their Demands for Change Portrayed in Film.
  • Modern Iran through Cinema.

LITERARY WORK EXPERIENCE:

Writer-in-Residence Positions: 

  • At Mc Master University’s Department of English and Cultural Studies and Hamilton Public Library (September 2019 – April 2020).
  • At the City of Richmond (October 2017 – November 2017).
  • At Regina Public Library (September 2015-May 2016).

Literary Contest Judge / Jury / Reader Positions: 

  • Judge for the 2016 West End Writers Group Contest.
  • Judge for the 2015 Saskatchewan Poetry Society Open Theme Contest.
  • Reader for the 2015 CBC Poetry Prize.
  • Juror for the 2015 RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers.